Texts of Islam

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 30. ar-Rum: Th...

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This is Surah Ar-Rum (Chapter 30, "The Romans") from the Quran, presented in M.M. Pickthall's early 20th-century English translation — one of the first translations made by a native English-speaking Muslim. The surah opens with a historically specific prophecy: the Romans (Byzantines), having been defeated, will achieve victory within ten years — a claim the text frames as divine foreknowledge and a sign of God's sovereignty. The bulk of the chapter then develops core Islamic theological themes: monotheism against polytheism and idolatry, the cyclical nature of creation and resurrection, divine judgment separating believers from disbelievers, and the moral decay caused by humans' own wrongdoing. A distinctive structural feature is a series of "signs of God" passages (verses 20–25) that point to natural phenomena — human pair-bonding, linguistic and racial diversity, sleep, lightning, and rain — as evidence of divine power and design. The surah also takes pointed stances on economic ethics (condemning usury, endorsing charity) and on religious sectarianism (criticizing those who fragment religion into rival sects). It closes with consolation to the Prophet Muhammad: his role is to deliver the message, not to compel belief, since God alone guides hearts.

The Meaning of the Glorious Qur'ân,: 30. ar-Rum: Th...

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